About the Report

Download Report

The Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2014 authorized the Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3), which provided awarded pilots the flexibility to use funding from across multiple Federal discretionary programs to support efforts to improve the systems serving youth and youth’s outcomes. The report assesses the 14 awarded pilots’ implementation of the Federal vision for P3. Findings showed that pilots took a variety of approaches to try to improve youth outcomes, which commonly included new or enhanced services. To implement these approaches, all pilots formed partnerships across local youth-serving agencies, and three focused on broader systems change efforts such as shared governance or data systems. All pilots combined funds from Federal discretionary programs and other sources, and most used approved waivers from discretionary program requirements to serve a broader population of youth. The report also discusses challenges and facilitators pilots experienced in realizing the Federal vision and draws lessons for future efforts like P3.

Download this Summary (PDF)

Research Questions

• How did the P3 pilots use Federal-, state-, and local-granted financial and programmatic flexibilities, including waivers and blended/braided funding, to design and implement interventions with the goal of improving the outcomes of disconnected youth?
• How and to what extent had each pilot leveraged the P3 flexibilities, including waivers and blended/braided funding, in an effort to enhance its partnerships and work across partners to provide effective and efficient services to disconnected youth?
• What systems and programmatic changes resulted from P3 at the Federal and pilot levels (as reported by respondents)?
• Who were the youth who participated in the P3 pilot and what services did they receive? What were the youth’s outcomes, especially in the education and employment domains?
• What do the pilots’ implementation experiences suggest as lessons for developing and/or building upon the P3 integrated governance and service strategies to improve the outcomes of disconnected youth?

Key Takeaways

• All pilots brought together multiple partners across different youth-serving agencies, including health providers, housing agencies, education providers, and workforce agencies.
• Of the 13 pilots with approved Federal waivers, 10 reported using at least one waiver in three general ways: To serve a broader population of youth, to serve a focal population of youth flexibly, or to reduce administrative burden.
• Pilots reported that understanding, trust, and buy-in may have shaped their use of the flexibilities granted through the waivers. Three pilots reported that they did not need their granted waivers to implement their services.
• All pilots used P3 as an opportunity to provide enhanced services to a focal population of disconnected youth. The implementation study identified three service approaches.
  • Case management. Youth received individualized case management to help them navigate and connect to community resources.
  • Case management plus services. Youth received individualized case management and participated in or received the same set of services designed for P3 youth.
  • Program service model. Youth participated in the same set of activities specific to P3 to achieve common goals related to education or employment.
• The evaluation team found additional guidance and technical assistance in focused areas could support efforts to capitalize on allowed flexibilities and prepare for systems change.

Citation

Stanczyk, A., Yañez, A., Rosenberg, L. (2020). Mathematica. Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3): Implementation Study Findings of the Pilots’ Experiences. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Download Report   View Study Profile

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.